sound problem

[payne]

Well this started about 5 days ago 3 days ago i reformated now heres to the problem 5 days ago my sound blaster just stoped being reconized by windows so i thought it finally went out after 3 years of use but windows was seeing a sound card but loading windows default drivers. I went and dled the Sb drivers and reinstalled but said there are no sb porducts installed on pc. I took the card out turned my onboard sound on it worked fine til this morning now its doing the same thing could this be a feedback in my speaker wiring or could my motherboard be dieing

Brian

[SnakEyez]

Doubt it's the motherboard. Those are never the problem because if it is you would notice it much earlier on.

If you are using Windows 2000 Pro or XP then you should use Windows default drivers for testing purposes, just take that into note when I explain to test.

There is a program on your computer called dxdiag. It is a diagnostic tool for DirectX and it also tests sound. To launch this tool go to Run and then type in dxdiag to launch it. Once there go to the sound tab and run the tests. It should read the device and a driver for the device.

Note: If one of those isn't showing up you go to the Device Manager in the Control Panel (it's in the properties icon in the Control Panel). Then click to uninstall the device, and then reboot your machine and try having Windows reinstall it for you.

Now that you have gotten the device as being seen, test the device. If you hear the sounds you should be fine. If you don't then you have to do some testing. Now it is easier to get a pair of speakers to test rather than buying a new sound card (which in many cases can't be returned to retailers once it is opened). Just go to a friend or neighbor and ask to borrow their speakers. If they plug in and work your speakers were the problem and you need a new one. If they don't work then you need a new sound card.

Also one thing to note. If this is the reason you reformatted you really shouldn't have because reformatting will usually never help sound problems.

[vanselus]

You said you tried the computer using both the SB sound card and the onboard one?

[payne]

ya i tried both sound cards

ill try what ya said when i get home tonight i hope thats the reason

[Tammy]

Sound cards give me a terrific headache, that is the one part of a system that seems to have the most problems with conflicts and stuff.

Since you reformatted, you had to reinstall all your software. My experience is that software can cause all sorts of conflicts with sound cards. I would take the card physically out of the machine, reboot, then turn off the computer again and reinstall the card. That your card isn't even being recognized by the machine is troubling. Maybe time for a new sound card?

[payne]

well to give a update on my sound problem since i figured it out and someone in the future might have it ill go in my story mode from this morning.

Well i got my new sound card in the mail going good now i can have sound again but put in same exact problem then i go what could cause this before i decide to buy a new motherboard since i thought the pci bridges where dead i looked on the board and just as i was closing the side panel noticed a jumper was off the cmos battery though according to the motherboard manuel you dont need one which i thought odd found the jumper on the base of the case put it back in and now all works and the other sound card works as well o well waste of money i guess but the sound difference is better with the new one so check the jumpers is something ive found out dont know how the pin came loose but it did.

Brian

[Tammy]

Congratulations on solving the problem. You must be pretty good with hardware if you noticed a missing jumper, that isn't something that automatically jumps out at you. Glad you fixed it. :)

[Vladdrac]

a jumper jumping out at you? nice pun, lol

[payne]

well since i been working in this field for 4 years now somethings just seem to be odd when looking at them plus i always switch the jumpers to a bright color so verison of dont use black in my pc so i can see them in low light areas might help